Developers will be expected to reduce car parking provision and provide electric vehicle charging points in new schemes.

Infrastructure Minister Ray Harmer told Tynwald last week that guidelines to developers will outline obligations both on road safety and the government’s active travel strategy.

Bill Shimmins (Middle) asked what provision would be contained in the updated Manual for Manx Roads for active travel and ’vulnerable road users’.

Mr Harmer said that it was ’critical’ that the built environment and highway infrastructure supported the government’s road safety strategy, active strategy and the Programme for Government.

The department’s Manual for Manx Roads (MfMR) provides guidance to developers on design and construction principles to provide people with a ’safe and environmentally sustainable network’ whatever their form of travel.

’The updated Manual for Manx Roads continues to emphasise that the department, in managing the road network, will only support development that improves accessibility and safeguards highway network capacity for non-motorised transport,’ the Minister told Tynwald.

’Any new development must be designed to reduce the risk of collisions occurring and the severity of injuries if a collision does occur, designed to be accessible to all travel modes and accommodated within the existing capacity of the highway network.’

The revised manual will also give updated guidance for new developments including reducing car parking provision, especially town centre brown field sites with ’active travel linkages’, cycling parking standards, requirements for electric vehicle charging points and accessibility assessments and measures required to improve active travel links.

Mr Harmer confirmed the manual would prioritise the safety of vulnerable road users, including pedestrians and cyclists.